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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27467482">Jaegars Everyday Activities</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/FinalConduit1/pseuds/FinalConduit1'>FinalConduit1</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Akame ga Kill! (Anime &amp; Manga)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Families of Choice, Friendship, Subtext</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-20 10:55:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,139</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27467482</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/FinalConduit1/pseuds/FinalConduit1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Half of them had come from dark places in their lives, each with their own unique forms. </p>
<p>Wave was not averse to working with them, when he was given enough time to adapt to their eccentrics. </p>
<p>But despite himself, he thought that making friends with them couldn't hurt anything.</p>
<p>. . . Right?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They had been called out to a far part of the Capitol, to a lake where aquatic Danger Beasts were.</p>
<p>Due to Wave's own experience, as well as a couple of the others', he'd been called out to deal with them.</p>
<p>As it turned out, these Danger Beasts were especially adept at going about luring fishermen to their deaths by pulling them in.</p>
<p>As such, the only apparent way to lure *them* out was to pretend to be a fisherman innocently going about their routine.</p>
<p>Seryu hadn't been expecting much, but with the thoroughly intense game of cat and mouse that was fishing, she was devoid of anything to pass the time beyond asking about something, anything.</p>
<p>"Is Wave your real name?"</p>
<p>And that was what she chose.</p>
<p>This singular question became the impetus to the soldier learning a number of things that day.</p>
<p>"It is, yeah. Why do you ask Seryu?" Wave asked the brown haired girl next to him, eyebrow raised as he glanced her way.</p>
<p>"I remembered that you were born at the ocean. It seemed... nice."</p>
<p>"Really? It seemed kind of lazy to me." Kurome noted beside them, sitting against a tree trunk.</p>
<p>"Well, they said that they wanted—" Wave looked over to her, before his eyes widened. "! Hey, are you eating the bait?!"</p>
<p>"I'm hungry." Kurome said shamelessly. "This tastes good."</p>
<p>"That's for the Danger Beasts!"</p>
<p>Kurome hummed, then stopped, setting the bucket of bait out of her lap.</p>
<p>"What were you saying?" Seryu asked.</p>
<p>Wave looked at the girl fully now, able to read her boredom in her body language.</p>
<p>"Well... the water's always been associated with dangerous things. I come from a fisher town, so they thought that it'd be best to name me "Wave" for good luck."</p>
<p>"Hm. Your parents seem like the optimistic sort." Seryu hugged her knee to her chest, resting her head against it, her eying Wave curiously.</p>
<p>"The sad thing is that he's the weakest of all of us." Kurome noted, Wave going rigid, before his body became completely white while he hung his head.</p>
<p>"That's nothing to be ashamed of. We're Esdeath's elite guard after all Wave. You must have been quite skilled to have been recommended." Seryu looked forward to the fishing rod. "Even the weakest among us is still great in power."</p>
<p>Wave looked to her, then nodded faintly.</p>
<p>"Oh... thanks, Seryu. What about you? Do you know why your parents named you Seryu?" He asked her.</p>
<p>He had never gotten the chance to truly interact with her prior to then, and now that they were together, it seemed as good a chance as any.</p>
<p>Seryu frowned at his question however.</p>
<p>"I'm not sure. They never said why, exactly."</p>
<p>"Really? Why's that?"</p>
<p>"They were on duty when they died, killed by members of the Resistance, when I was younger."</p>
<p>His eyes widened.</p>
<p>"... sorry. I shouldn't have brought that up."</p>
<p>"It's fine. It's only harmless curiosity on your part." She reached to her Teigu, Coro sitting glumly, and pet him. "I think your parents had high hopes for you. And you certainly delivered. You seem to be a man of good heart and character, and quite strong. Remember to cherish them, Wave."</p>
<p>"Uh, yeah. I will."</p>
<p>As the three of them fell silent once more, Wave spoke up after a moment.</p>
<p>"I'm sure your parents are proud of you."</p>
<p>"You think? They actually wanted a son. When they raised me, they even tried raising me as one."</p>
<p>"Huh?" Wave looked to her, and Seryu chuckled, a nostalgic look in her eyes as she looked to the serene lake.</p>
<p>"I'm honestly glad they did. I never was one for more ladylike things. Combat is where I TRULY feel at home." She smirked, a zealous glint in her hard eyes, her grinning ear to ear in memory of something.</p>
<p>"Oh. Well, would you like to go a few rounds against me when we get back to the Capitol?" Wave offered. "Part of me figured you'd be into that sort of thing when we first met."</p>
<p>She looked to him, before smirking.</p>
<p>"Sorry, but you're not the sort of person I enjoy getting into fights with."</p>
<p>Wave blinked twice.</p>
<p>"Uhh... okay? What sort of person DO you like fighting against?"</p>
<p>"Evildoers, of course!" She sprung up to her feet, clenching her prosthetic fist with passion. "Purging evil as a harbinger of JUSTICE! There's no greater RUSH than giving those Resistance *scum* their just desserts!" She hugged herself at the idea of it. "Oh, wherever could these Danger Beasts BE?! I'll *kill* them, and I'll *gut* them before feeding their corpses to Coro!"</p>
<p>Wave was greatly taken aback by her zealotry — but Kurome had other things in mind.</p>
<p>"Can I join in?" Kurome asked. "If it's edible, I'm all for it."</p>
<p>"*That's* the first thing that comes to mind?!" Wave asked to the young girl, who shrugged.</p>
<p>"I didn't pack enough of my cookies." She pouted.</p>
<p>"Oh, yes, we'll feast upon their entrails! We'll boil their *eyeballs* in a *stew* and feed them to the pigeons at the local park! Let it be done!" Seryu looked to her Imperial Arms. "Coro! Give me the weapons I need to KILL these vermin!"</p>
<p>The animal devoured her arm, and it was replaced by a giant mace on a chain.</p>
<p>As Seryu was about to swing her weapon down at the waters, however, Wave grasped her arm and stopped her.</p>
<p>"Hey, calm down!"</p>
<p>"Why are you STOPPING me?!" Seryu asked, yet even as she looked back at him, the mania of her eyes drove him to flinch back, unnerved.</p>
<p>"Look, the Danger Beasts are just going to swim away if you try going in there to attack! They have to think that you're *defenseless* before they come up!"</p>
<p>Seryu ground her teeth, which somehow looked far sharper than any normal person's all of a sudden, her growling down at the water.</p>
<p>"Spineless COWARDS!" Seryu snarled at the waters. "You've escaped my wrath now, but JUSTICE will claim all of you, without exception!"</p>
<p>"These Danger Beasts ARE usually invertebrate."</p>
<p>They looked behind themselves to find Run and Esdeath behind them.</p>
<p>"Oh, you guys are here. Where's Bols?" Kurome wondered.</p>
<p>"He's coming behind us. He said he'd make you more cookies before he arrived." Run explained.</p>
<p>"Have any of you had any luck in capturing them yet?" Esdeath asked while strolling forward, looking into the tranquil waters that reflected her face back up at her.</p>
<p>"None so far. Wave said they can't feel threatened, or they won't take the bait." Kurome explained.</p>
<p>"Is that so?" She asked the man in question, who let go of Seryu's arm and nodded, Seryu looking to Esdeath as well.</p>
<p>"Yeah, they understand that some people are stronger than other, so they only go for people they think are weak." Wave admitted.</p>
<p>"I see. In that case, it's just a matter of superiority." She looked down to the waters, then smiled a broad, sadistic smile, hand reaching up her jacket. "If they won't come to *us*, then *I'll* just go to *them*."</p>
<p>"H-Huh?" Wave said for the umpteenth time that day, only for him to repeat it again when Esdeath began shedding her clothes. "HUH?!"</p>
<p>Left in what resembled a bikini, the pale skinned woman placed her clothes in the dumbstruck Wave's arms.</p>
<p>"Hold these for me, will you? I wouldn't want them to get dirty."</p>
<p>"You're really going to go down there yourself like that?!"</p>
<p>"Why wouldn't I? If the Danger Beasts seek to assert their superiority, then who am I not to heed their challenge?"</p>
<p>Before he could say anything further on the matter, Esdeath jumped into the waters, disappearing into their depths.</p>
<p>"She's quite the courageous one, isn't she?" Run walked up to his companions.</p>
<p>"She's breathtaking..."</p>
<p>They looked to Seryu, whose eyes were glued to the spot where Esdeath landed inside, cheeks flushed, before she noticed everyone looking at her.</p>
<p>"What's wrong?"</p>
<p>"Are you okay Seryu?" Wave finally asked. "Your nose is bleeding..."</p>
<p>Seryu blinked, then dabbed her finger at her nose to find drops of blood there.</p>
<p>"What— *No*, I have no idea why this is happening!" Seryu looked around at them.</p>
<p>"It's nothing to worry over." Run pulled out a handkerchief for her, which Seryu took with some hesitance and cleaned her nose.</p>
<p>"What about you Run? Did your parents have a reason for naming you that?" Wave found himself asking.</p>
<p>"Oh— well, there really isn't a reason for it." Run answered.</p>
<p>The blonde man wasn't keen on telling them all about how his name was fake, for when he'd forged his papers to move up the military ranks.</p>
<p>"Really? That's a shame."</p>
<p>"Why do you ask?" Run asked, and Wave explained it, how Seryu had asked him where his name came from, he'd asked where hers came from, and he was just curious.</p>
<p>"Really? How did that lead to you screaming at the water and getting your chain mace out?" Run asked the flushing girl.</p>
<p>"We were talking about combat, and my blood started boiling. I wanted to kill the Danger Beasts in the water." Seryu admitted sheepishly.</p>
<p>"None of you are gonna ask me where my name comes from?" Kurome asked.</p>
<p>"Do you know?" Wave asked over his shoulder to her.</p>
<p>"My parents named me after my eye color. "Kuro-" mean black, and "-me" means eyes."</p>
<p>"They named you Black Eye?" Wave have a weird look.</p>
<p>"Akame from Night Raid is your older sister, isn't that right?" Run asked. "They named her "Red Eye"?"</p>
<p>"They weren't very creative." She answered flatly.</p>
<p>"No kidding. Red Eye at least sounds like an assassin name, Black Eye just sounds like you'll punch someone in the face."</p>
<p>"Should I give it a try?" She asked with a light growl.</p>
<p>"No need to be hostile." A man's voice said through a gas filter, the group looking to find the tall, bulky figure of Bols standing there. "I brought more cookies for you Kurome."</p>
<p>"Thank you." Kurome took the bag he plaintively put in her hands.</p>
<p>"Where is Esdeath?" Bols asked the others, before seeing what Wave was carrying. "Are those her clothes?"</p>
<p>"She's uh — fighting with the fish?" Wave tried to explain.</p>
<p>"Everyone, look!" Seryu pointed, them all turning their attention to the dark, humanoid figure zipping rapidly around in the waters, kicking around thoroughly after a much larger, misshapen figure, a bucking kick sending it bursting out of the waters at high speeds, its blurred form zipping up into the air, gaining steam, before it spontaneously exploded above them, the collective group giving a surprised exclamation as they scrambled to get up and jump out of the path of the flaming debris — except Seryu, who called for Coro to act, the small animal Teigu bulking up.</p>
<p>Seeing what Seryu was doing, Run paused in his retreat.</p>
<p>"Mastema!" He invoked his winged Teigu, projectiles stabbing into them, shifting the flaming innards' path of falling to fall towards Coro, who opened his massive maw and let all of them fall into the Teigu's maw.</p>
<p>"Did she really just *kick* a Danger Beast so hard it *exploded*?!" Wave asked, and, as if hearing him, three more of the Danger Beasts burst out of the water, flying to fall towards where the group had been.</p>
<p>Wave and Seryu both looked up at seeing the falling figures, Seryu smirking broadly.</p>
<p>"Run, can you give me a path?" Wave called to his ally.</p>
<p>"Alright!"</p>
<p>"Bols!" Wave turned to the large man.</p>
<p>"Yes Wave?" Bols looked back to him.</p>
<p>"Please hold Esdeath's clothes for me!" Wave said, Bols nodding and taking the clothes up, Wave grasping his sword by the hilt, stabbing it into the ground.</p>
<p>"Grand <strong>Chariot</strong>!" He roared, arcs of lighting bursting around him as the skeletal form of the creature the Teigu was formed from came to life behind him, its massive hands placing themselves on either side of Wave as it roared in turn, Wave feeling as it shattered apart, body melding to his body to create a form of armor.</p>
<p>Arrows of light forming in the sky from Run's Mastema, Wave tensed his legs, then thrust himself through the air at one, his form whizzing through the air, foot pressed against the side of it, before he kicked himself off of it to get to the next one, him zipping in a zig-zagged path before he found himself before the Danger Beast, a mid-air punch launching it down to Coro's massive maw.</p>
<p>As the Teigu caught it in and chomped on the beast, Seryu gripped the chain on her arm, her hoisting the massive mace up in the air, her chain rattling as it shot up, her catching the chain before tugging it back, the mace changing direction to swing abruptly over the third Danger Beast, Seryu reeling in the chain as it wrapped around its body, a fierce tug swinging it down to ground with a rumble.</p>
<p>"Coro, leave that one for Kurome!" Seryu said, the group looking, with widened eyes, to find ice shards aimed from beneath the water's surface, aimed up at the fourth Danger Beast, stabbing into several places before the ice spread, soon engulfing it in ice.</p>
<p>This preceded Esdeath launching out of the water, up at the fourth of them, delivering a hard kick that sent it hurtling towards the ground, landing roughly against the ground.</p>
<p>Esdeath free falling through the air, she smirked freely before she entered a frontal flip, knees tucked, before she landed in a crouched position, humming as she rose purposefully back to her feet.</p>
<p>"Those were all the Danger Beasts." Esdeath informed her elite guard, Wave, not having calculated a landing strategy, clumsily landing in a tree near her, fumbling through the foliage to land with a thud on the ground. "They put up a decent fight. But that was only because of a handicap I placed on myself."</p>
<p>"Did you freeze the last one so we can eat it too?" Seryu asked excitedly.</p>
<p>"Oh, *heavens* no." Esdeath walked to the frozen over Danger Beast, pressing her hand against the ice, seeing the way the beast's eyes darted to and fro, wriggling in a vain attempt to get to safety. "I'm going to make this my own form of *entertainment* for tonight. I'll see how long this one lasts before I *break* it."</p>
<p>"... General Esdeath?" Seryu spoke without thinking.</p>
<p>"Yes Seryu dear?"</p>
<p>"How did your parents pick YOUR name?"</p>
<p>"My name? Oh, they had high expectations for me." She smiled. "They expected me to be on top, no matter the situation."</p>
<p>Recovering and walking back, armor dispersing from him, Wave looked to his general.</p>
<p>"What do you mean? How do they get "Esdeath" out of that?"</p>
<p>"OH! It's actually a funny story, that. My name is actually pronounced as "Es desu"."</p>
<p>"Es desu?" Everyone repeated in unison, sans Run, who gave a peculiar look at her.</p>
<p>"Yes. It means "I'm an S"." She explained. "But everyone kept mishearing me when I said it, so eventually, people just called me Esdeath."</p>
<p>"What does the "S" stand for though?" Wave gave a baffled expression.</p>
<p>Run's eyes grew wide.</p>
<p>"It *can't* mean...?"</p>
<p>"Have you figured it out Run?" The woman now known as Esdesu smiled at the winged man.</p>
<p>"'S' as in... 'BDSM'?" He asked.</p>
<p>"You hit the nail on the head!"</p>
<p>Everyone fell silent for a long moment.</p>
<p>"What kind of family did you *come from*?!" Wave exclaimed in abject horror and disgust. "Who names their *kid* that?!"</p>
<p>"Some of the people in my village thought it a strange name as well. But no matter. People have learned to fear and respect my name, and I relish the chance to live up to all that people associate with it. Now, where did my clothes go?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Jaegars Snuggles</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It’s okay to sleep with your friends when you have a really bad nightmare, right?</p>
<p>Nothing to question about it, TOTALLY just two pals sharing a bed.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Seryu?"</p>
<p>The sound of her name roused her from her slumber, eyes fluttering open groggily to look to the person who'd spoken to her.</p>
<p>"Kurome? Did something happen?" She sat with a start, swift as would be expected of a soldier, and the onset pain in her joints from not being giving them proper time to prepare for movement arrived in waves, but it not being of any consequence to her, her valiantly tossing her blanket off of herself to make to stand up, Kurome flinching back. "Is there a CRISIS at hand?!"</p>
<p>"Wha—No!" Kurome yelled, baffled by how springy she was. "Nothing's happened!"</p>
<p>Seryu blinked twice, already on her feet, halfway about to call Coro to give her one of the modes of attack she had in stock.</p>
<p>"... oh." Seryu answered awkwardly, deflated, her plopping down on the mattress of her bed, sitting on her knees, a disappointed frown crossing her face. "In that case, what brings you to my quarters?" A quick glance out the window, plus her internal clock, prompted her to ask further. "Especially at THIS time of night? It must be well after midnight!"</p>
<p>Kurome pouted, dark eyes shifting about.</p>
<p>"I... had a bad dream." She admitted with a frown. "But Wave wasn't in his room. I usually try to go to him, and he calms me down enough to help me go back to sleep. I know this is sudden, but... could I sleep with you?"</p>
<p>Seryu raised her eyebrows, then smiled ear to ear.</p>
<p>"If that would make you feel better, then of course!" She stood, gathering up the blanket she'd tossed away. "I have trouble sleeping as well, many times."</p>
<p>"Really? Do you have nightmares too?"</p>
<p>"Oh no, I wouldn't call them that." Seryu shook her head, climbing back onto the bed carefully. "My dreams are honestly quite pleasant — though I can't ever really recall them when I wake up."</p>
<p>Kurome noted the small jitters Seryu tried to suppress as she came closer.</p>
<p>"Let me help." She said, taking a part of the blanket, Seryu giving a surprised look, but not giving any rebuttal as Kurome spread the blanket over them with a flap, the fabric fluttering over their bodies.</p>
<p>The feel of the fabric over her, and the knowledge that she was not alone, was enough to ease Kurome's nerves, but as she glanced at Seryu, who shifted her body with visible discomfort, she spoke up.</p>
<p>"Why is it that you have trouble sleeping, Seryu?"</p>
<p>Seryu frowned as she settled on her back.</p>
<p>"It's the implants I have. Dr. Stylish's experiments gave me great strength, but they came at an equally great price. He called it "phantom pains" if I recall it correctly. Even though I've long since lost my original arms and legs, and many other things, I can still feel the pain that accompanied it when he cut them off."</p>
<p>Kurome looked in shock at this.</p>
<p>"I... think I can relate." She managed to say.</p>
<p>"Hm?" Seryu looked in curiosity to the younger girl, only moving her head, everything from the neck down stiff as could be to avoid the pain.</p>
<p>"I had to do some training to be an assassin, before Esdeath called the Jaegars together." Kurome explained. "But, eventually, I had to take drugs to keep myself able to fight. Those drugs tend to hurt me when they wear off."</p>
<p>"Oh, you poor thing."</p>
<p>Seryu turned to her side, despite the pain this movement caused her, and gently grasped Kurome's head, nestling the younger girl's head into her bosom.</p>
<p>"If you ever need comfort, always know that my door is open to you!" Seryu claimed, Kurome flushing faintly.</p>
<p>"... thank you." She muttered quietly, and Seryu couldn't help smiling, Kurome shifting in turn, moving so Seryu could lay on her back once more. "Good night."</p>
<p>"... Good night Kurome." Seryu gently rubbed her robotic hand through Kurome's scalp, something she faintly recalled her father had done for her when he was still alive, soothing Kurome into a calm sleep, her soft breaths caressing her chest.</p>
<p>Her smile gently began to fade with this, saddened to know of Kurome's condition.</p>
<p>"Evil must be eradicated at any cost." She closed her eyes as she whispered this. "I will bear your burden — so you needn't worry about anything, Kurome."</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Mom-desu</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sometimes, all a person needs is a good bit of character-building labor in the middle of the woods!</p>
<p>The middle of the woods where Esdeath forces you to go through terrible conditions, and you’re never quite sure if she’s trying to help you or if she’s just getting off to sadistic death of your spirit.</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>Wave wishes he’d just stayed home to be Kurome’s makeshift teddy bear.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As Wave found himself returning home from a last minute assignment that Esdeath had taken him out on, the man walked alongside the tall woman as she strolled confidently forward in the dark forest path.</p>
<p>"General Esdeath? Would you mind it if I asked why you brought me out here?"</p>
<p>He cast a wary glance about himself as he minded the darkness of the forests surrounding each side of the road.</p>
<p>"I've done my best to keep my eye on you, Wave. Of all the Jaegars, only you and Run were recommended to me without being part of any specific unit of the Empire's military. Well, with the exception of Run."</p>
<p>Wave watched the back of her head intently as she walked forward still.</p>
<p>"As I've seen, you are in perfect physical condition. Your skills in combat are notable as well. But even with those achievements, you still have doubts about yourself."</p>
<p>"Yeah." Wave lowered his head with a frown.</p>
<p>"That's the reason I decided to bring you out here." Esdeath stopped, and he looked up, seeing that they had come out to the lake where she'd fought the aquatic Danger Beasts. "I will assess your skill for myself, to decide if you can truly be worthy of remaining within the Jaegars."</p>
<p>A wave of frost tore through the air, a layer of ice coming over the waters, Esdeath pulling her sword from her sheathe.</p>
<p>"Wait, what?!" Wave took a step back, even as Esdeath turned to face him.</p>
<p>"If you won't take the chance, then I'll cut you down here myself." She said, aiming her blade at Wave. "Take up your Imperial Arms and prove that you're worthy of it."</p>
<p>Seeing Wave frown, Esdeath smiled, seeing the sense of predetermined defeat in his eyes, as if he'd already lost the battle.</p>
<p>It made her feel nostalgic, to her days of training her troops in the past before becoming a general.</p>
<p>She recalled how Wave had come to her in search of lessons in how he could become a better fighter, and she felt that it would be well in her rights to mold him as her soldier.</p>
<p>Molding a singular soldier in her spare time would be of no consequence to her, she had decided.</p>
<p>Thus, when Wave invoked Grand Chariot, becoming coated in its armor, Esdeath smiled while she led him to the middle of the ring of ice she'd created for them to fight on, her gazing at him while Wave tried to steady his nerves, Esdeath swiping her blade through frozen air while calling for Wave to begin, him roaring out a battle cry as he sped forward to her.</p>
<hr/>
<p>There was the sound of coughing from Wave as he let down his Imperial Arms, an hour after his time of being a glorified punching bag for Esdeath began.</p>
<p>Watching him from behind, Esdeath watched as he came to regurgitate his dinner from the intensity of the damaged he'd been made to endure.</p>
<p>"Yes, this should be fine for now." Esdeath told him.</p>
<p>"What... What do you mean?" Wave wheezed, barely able to breathe, Esdeath reaching her hand out to him, helping him up to his feet.</p>
<p>"Come. You aren't finished yet. You've only managed to survive my initial onslaught." Esdeath told him, her seeing the bleeding coming from his broken arm, her creating a cast of ice around it. "Your arm is broken, but the rest of your body is functional. You can still be of use to me."</p>
<p>She walked into the forest, Wave looking after her, but not disobeying, acting according to her instructions.</p>
<p>His first task was completely destroying the the ice ring she'd created for them to fight in, then it was to chop down trees to make logs, before he was then being made to get fish out of the lake by swimming inside with a lance made of ice, without being allowed to take his clothes off, Esdeath partaking in many of these tasks with him, but always telling him to pull his weight.</p>
<p>They soon stood with their prey killed and stuck atop ice spikes, but Esdeath used her powers to freeze their clothes around their bodies before they could begin to properly dry, Wave working through it to do squats as per her instructions, minutes passing before they were finished with this exercise.</p>
<p>Despite this, when Esdeath tasked him with starting a fire to help thaw them out, Wave's frost ridden body shook uncontrollably, this making it far harder for him to do it, but him stubbornly try anyhow as he rubbed the sticks together to spark the fire.</p>
<p>In time, however, Esdeath placed her hand over his, the smile she gave, with the proud warmth of a mother seeing their child grow, confusing Wave.</p>
<p>"That should be enough overall for today. Allow me."</p>
<p>Though she was under the same conditions as him, put under the same hellish training that she'd put him through, she effortlessly acted without shaking at all, sparking the flame that soon grew to become a great, roaring fire, them getting out of their thawing clothes and soaking in the fire's warmth while sitting on some spare logs.</p>
<p>"Tell me, Wave, how did all of that make you feel?" Esdeath asked him.</p>
<p>He hesitated, looking to the woman who gazed intently at him, before looking down.</p>
<p>"It was... honestly pretty frustrating, and hard. But seeing how well you were doing it, it actually made me feel ashamed of feeling that way, in a weird way. I'm not really cut out to be one of the Jaegars after all, am I?"</p>
<p>Esdeath chuckled.</p>
<p>"No. You are indeed worthy of being one of my elite soldiers, Wave. That much is obvious."</p>
<p>"But... I couldn't even hit you, even with my Teigu. You blocked every attack I threw. And then I couldn't even start a fire."</p>
<p>"Oh, of course you didn't hit me. But again, it was against me." Esdeath smiled a snakelike grin. "As for the fire, I was aware that that would probably be where you would need my assistance."</p>
<p>"Then... how? How am I worthy of being a Jaegar, if I can't even pass your tests without help?"</p>
<p>"Oh Wave, you've been misinterpreting the problem all along. It was never about the physical limitations of your skills. It was about the mental limitations you've placed on it."</p>
<p>"What do you mean?" He asked slowly.</p>
<p>"Why was it that you couldn't start the fire? Was it because your hands were too cold, so they kept shaking?" Esdeath asked, to which he nodded sheepishly. "That's where you're mistaken. A soldier is not to be limited by the world around him. No matter the elements that conflict against them. The body you inhabit may try to resist your will, but you must be the one in control, Wave." She stood up, taking up one of their large fish and held it over the fire. "In the end, the body is naught but a tool, no different from a weapon, or an Imperial Arms. As such, I see in you the makings of a perfect warrior. Your mind need only conquer your body, and from there, you will flourish, with mountains being no more than stepping stones, armies no more an obstacle than insects on the ground."</p>
<p>Wave was left stunned into silence by this, then looked to his Grand Chariot.</p>
<p>"Conquer my body...? If it'll make me stronger, then I'll do just that." Wave nodded. "Thank you, General Esdeath— er, Esdesu?"</p>
<p>She looked back at him, then shook her head with a smile.</p>
<p>"No need to worry about it. I've grown fond of both names. As for the training, thank you for being honest about your insecurities. It's honestly made me quite nostalgic."</p>
<p>"Really?" Wave's eyes widened.</p>
<p>"Yes," she whimsically pulled her fish away from the fire, "back to my days of training my troops... no, I think it's even further back than that."</p>
<p>Sitting back on her log, she minded the stars above them and smiled gently.</p>
<p>"I wonder if this is how my father felt, sending me out to hunt animals as a child."</p>
<p>"What was your father like?"</p>
<p>She hummed in thought.</p>
<p>"He was a man that taught me the values of strength. How the world could set out to claim the people inside it and assert its dominance, and most of all, how most people's illusions of strength can be shattered when they aren't prepared, with them paying for it with their lives. My father regrettably was far too weak for this world, as were my Three Beasts. Such is why potential such as yours must be brought to fruition."</p>
<p>She looked at Wave once more, and the words formed in her head.</p>
<p>"I wonder if this is what having a son is like."</p>
<p>"Well, uh, don't take this the wrong way, but... you DO kind of remind me another parental figure I had."</p>
<p>"Is that right? Pray tell."</p>
<p>Wave explained it to her, telling her of how his master had been the one who'd ultimately guided Wave to join the navy after training him.</p>
<p>He recounted how he had nearly been killed in his hometown when a wave of Danger Beasts had arrived, but his mentor had been strong enough to cull the wave and cut the majority of them down.</p>
<p>He had always admired that person for their strength and initiative in being able to protect the things that Wave loved and cherished, and when his mentor took him under their wing, that was when years of training gradually led up to him joining the navy itself.</p>
<p>"That's really been what I've been wanting since the beginning. The power to protect the people I care about from either the Resistance or monsters that hurt others. I get that same feeling of admiration watching you, General Esdeath, because you're honestly amazing. You might hear it all the time, but that's really how I feel."</p>
<p>At the sight of Esdeath smiling at him, warm and caring, Wave flushed, the woman reaching up and rubbing the man's scalp.</p>
<p>"... that being said, it kind of feels weird to think of you that way." He added.</p>
<p>"Oh? Why is that?"</p>
<p>"Aren't you just a couple years older than I am?"</p>
<p>"Perhaps. But what of it?"</p>
<p>"Wouldn't it make more sense to say you're like a big sister to me, or something?"</p>
<p>"Hmm... would that be preferable for you?"</p>
<p>Wave internally thought of referring to her as such.</p>
<p>"... Nope. That'd be even weirder." He found himself laughing, and Esdeath joined him.</p>
<p>"Well, now we should be able to enjoy a decent helping of fish before we head back home. Let's eat."</p>
<p> </p>
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